Real Sociedad vs Barcelona Predictions, Lineups & Betting Tips

Real Sociedad vs Barcelona Predictions, Lineups & Betting Tips

Match Details: January 18, 2026 | Reale Arena | La Liga | 20:00 GMT

Real Sociedad have the opportunity to rewrite the story of their season, having been wallowing around the lower-mid table for much of the campaign so far, as they face the daunting prospect of having Barcelona come to town, a side who have relished in an incredible year to this point. A win here would offer the hosts an unbridled boost in confidence going forward, but that is largely owing to how relentless Barcelona have been this season under Hansi Flick, as they look set for a magnificent year that likely has a second La Liga title in a row and a third in four years at the end of it.

Key Betting Tips: Barcelona to Win @ 1.57 odds on Coral, 1.50 odds on BoyleSports or 1.48 odds on Kwiff all represent good value based on the tip provided by Football Park's advanced algorithm.

Barcelona are in unbelievable form heading into this game and genuinely look unstoppable. Their attack is firing on all cylinders and they've looked very comfortable defensively, so it's pretty much impossible to look past them here.

Real Sociedad vs Barcelona Predicted Lineups

Real Sociedad Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Álex Remiro; Sergio Gómez, Duje Ćaleta-Car, Jon Martin, Jon Aramburu; Beñat Turrientes, Carlos Soler; Gonçalo Guedes, Brais Méndez, Takefusa Kubo; Mikel Oyarzabal

There are two potential absences for Sociedad, both of whom are in doubt over their fitness for this game, so there is no guarantee that they'll miss out. Orri Oskarsson and Yangel Herrera will be subject to late fitness tests to determine the likelihood of them making an appearance.

Barcelona Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Joan García; Alejandro Balde, Eric García, Pau Cubarsí, Jules Koundé; Pedri, Frenkie De Jong; Raphinha, Fermín López, Lamine Yamal; Robert Lewandowski

Dro Fernandez will potentially miss out on this tie, while Andreas Christensen will definitely be out as he continues to suffer from his ACL injury. Gavi is also expected to be out until February, a big miss in the midfield.

Real Sociedad vs Barcelona Current League Standings

The hosts find themselves in 12th place heading into this game, as they look set to suffer a second disappointing season in a row by their standards. Having become a club that often competed for Europe, they've slumped into the lower-mid table battle in recent times, so much so that they're only four points clear of the relegation zone. It's all very tight and compact in La Liga, so a decent run of results would see them fly up the table given that they're only three points behind eighth, but that can be quite a big ask in a division as competitive as this one.

It's not such a big ask for Barcelona, though, who have had an excellent season so far and sit at the top of the table, clear of Real Madrid by four points. They've only dropped points on three occasions so far this campaign, winning 16 from 19, making them a formidable opponent for anyone to be facing, let alone a side having a difficult year. They have the best scoring record in the league by a mile, netting a ridiculous 53 times in just 19 games, and outscoring the next highest team, Real Madrid, by 12 goals in that time. If they can maintain this throughout the second half of the season, then this will have been a very special season for Barca.

Real Sociedad vs Barcelona Head-to-Head Timeline

Barcelona have been the dominant force in the meetings between these two sides since 2010, winning 25 times to Sociedad's comparatively measly seven. Only five matches have ended on level terms, so history dictates that we're likely to see a Barcelona victory as the outcome of this match. Sociedad have only broken the habit once in the last five games, beating Barca at the back end of 2024. Besides from that, Barcelona's three clean sheets in the last five indicate a level of comfort as a result of defensive solidity when they face Sociedad.

Recent Head-to-Head Results:

• September 28, 2025: Barcelona 2-1 Real Sociedad (La Liga)
• March 2, 2025: Barcelona 4-0 Real Sociedad (La Liga)
• November 10, 2024: Real Sociedad 1-0 Barcelona (La Liga)
• May 13, 2024: Barcelona 2-0 Real Sociedad (La Liga)
• November 4, 2023: Real Sociedad 0-1 Barcelona (La Liga)

Real Sociedad and Barcelona Recent Matches Analysis

Real Sociedad Last 5 Matches:

• Real Sociedad 2-2 Osasuna (H) – Copa del Rey, Sociedad win 4-3 on penalties
• Real Sociedad 2-1 Getafe (A) - La Liga
• Real Sociedad 1-1 Atletico Madrid (H) - La Liga
• Real Sociedad 1-1 Levate (A) - La Liga
• Real Sociedad 2-1 Eldense (A) - Copa del Rey

Sociedad just seem to be lacking the cutting edge to be able to turn draws into wins at the moment, with three matches out of their last five ending level. They have won the other two, and going unbeaten in five games is a good feat regardless of how you do it, but they'll be ruing the missed opportunities to pick up points that would see them rise a long way up the table had they secured them. Their goalscoring record in the last five is positive, scoring eight and conceding six, which is always a good record to be able to maintain, but if they can find a way to maintain defensive solidity just a little more then they would be in an excellent position based on their recent form.

Barcelona Last 5 Matches:

• Barcelona 2-0 Racing Santander (A) – Copa del Rey
• Barcelona 3-2 Real Madrid (N) - Supercopa
• Barcelona 5-0 Athletic Club (H) - La Liga
• Barcelona 2-0 Espanyol (A) - La Liga
• Barcelona 2-0 Villarreal (A) - La Liga

There's not much to say about Barcelona's form beyond that they look incredible. This is vintage Barca, five wins from five, four clean sheets, an El Clasico victory to lift the Supercopa trophy, 14 goals scored in just five games. They genuinely look unstoppable at the moment, it's going to take something really special to peg Barcelona back when they're in this vein of form.

Real Sociedad vs Barcelona Predictions

Our advanced algorithm analyses over 200 data points to generate these predictions with a 73.30% confidence in Barcelona to Win. The model factors in current form, head-to-head records, player availability, and tactical matchups.

Best Real Sociedad vs Barcelona Betting Tips

Football Park’s Best Bet: Barcelona to Win @ 1.57 odds on Coral - Based on their recent results and performances, it looks as though it would be foolish to not back Barcelona to win this.

Key Players to Watch: Real Sociedad vs Barcelona

Brais Méndez (Real Sociedad): The 19-year old is rather Mikel Merino-esque, in that he is a Spanish midfielder who is surprisingly effective in front of goal, with some of the best stats in shots attempted and goals scored among midfielders in Europe over the last year. Of course, being a midfielder, passing is a big part of his game, and Méndez is able to dictate the play with his ability on the ball. He even offers good defensive coverage high up the pitch, making him a very effective player to have in the more attacking two thirds of the pitch.

Lamine Yamal (Barcelona): There's been plenty of excellent performers for Barcelona this season, and all over the pitch as well, but as boring as it may be given the amount of discourse we've already heard about this lad, Lamine Yamal is still standing out as one of the world's greatest talents. He has some of the best stats out there regarding chance creation, passing, touches of the ball and shooting across all of Europe this season, and is just a joy to watch. He's got seven goals and seven assists to his name in La Liga this season, and I would expect that tally to only continue rising as he maintains his rich vein of form.

Real Sociedad vs Barcelona Match Facts

Broadcast Details: Premier Sports Player, LaLigaTV

Referee: N/A

Stadium Information: Estadio Municipal de Anoeta, known as the Reale Arena for sponsorship reasons, has a capacity of 40,000 and is the second largest stadium in the Basque Country.

Real Sociedad vs Barcelona: Final Prediction

Real Sociedad 0-3 Barcelona